Horn weight assembly

ABSTRACT

A HORN WEIGHT ASSEMBLY HAS A HOLLOW WEIGHTED BODY ARRANGED TO FIT ON THE HORN, AND A FASTENER FOR REMOVABLY ATTACHING THE BODY TO THE HORN INCLUDES A BLADE HAVING AN INNER CUTTING EDGE SLIDABLY MOUNTED WITHIN THE BODY TOGETHER WITH A RESILIENT BAND HOLDING THE BLADE FIRMLY IN PLACE WITH THE CUTTING EDGE BEING FORCED AGAINST AND SLIGHTLY PENETRATING THE SURFACE OF THE HORN TO PREVENT MOVEMENT OF THE BODY ON THE HORN.

United States Patent [72] Inventor James K. Daniels Owl Creek Route, Thermopolis, Wyo. 82443 [21] Appl. No. 796,761 [22] Filed Feb. 5, 1969 [45] Patented June 28, 1971 [54] HORN WEIGHT ASSEMBLY 8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 128/76, 119/144 [51] -lnt.Cl. A61f05/00 [50] Field ofSeareh 119/144; 128/76 (D) [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,570,524 1/ 1926 Peterson 128/76 2,244,810 6/1941 Stone 128/76 2,501,086 3/1950 Picker 128/76 FOREIGN PATENTS 174,613 9/1906 Germany 1 19/144 Primary Examiner-Aldrich F. Medbery Attorney-Ancel W. Lewis, Jr.

ABSTRACT: A horn weight assembly has a hollow weighted body arranged to fit on the horn, and a fastener for removably attaching the body to the horn includes a blade having an inner cutting edge slidably mounted within the body together with a resilient band holding the blade firmly in place with the cutting edge being forced against and slightly penetrating the surface of the horn to prevent movement of the body on the horn.

PATENTEU JUN28|971 3587-571 .2 5 INVIL'N'IOR.

JAMES K. DANIELS ATTORNEY HORN WEIGHT ASSEMBLY This invention relates'to a novel and improved horn weight assembly for horned animals such as cattle.

A variety of horn weights have heretofore been usedon cattle to change the shape of the horn from its natural upturned configuration to a more desirable downtumed configuration. Prior art attempts to fasten the weighted bodies to the horn have generally included the use of a setscrew threaded through the body into the horn, movable clamping heads within the weightedbody having externally activated setscrews to move the clamping head tightly against the horn and there has also been provided two-piece sectional weight constructions which clamp to the horn. While these attempts to fasten the weighted body to the horn have been somewhat satisfactory they have several disadvantages including the requirement of special wrenches and also of causing pain to the animal upon application.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a simple, durable and easy to apply horn weight assembly for horned animals such as cattle and the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved fastener for a horn weight which will be easy and convenient to apply and will firmly hold the weighted body on the horn without slippage.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide an improved fastener for a horn weight which can be easily adapted to all sizes and shapes of weighted bodies.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will be more apparent as the description proceeds taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view for the horn weight assembly embodying features of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is another side elevational view of the horn weight assembly opposite to the side shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2 with the assembly being shown as mounted on a horn.

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the horn weight assembly of FIGS. 1 through 4 as viewed from the inner end; and

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of the horn weight assembly of FIGS. 1 through 5 as viewed from the outer end.

Referring now 'to the drawings in FIG. 1 the horn weight assembly shown comprises an elongated weighted body 11 of cylindrical cross section having a tapered longitudinal hole 12 defined by an inner circular surface and also tapered along its outer surface, the body being rounded or curved lengthwise along its outer surface to provide a generally smooth contour. Although one particular shape of the weighted body 11 has been shown it is understood that the present invention is not restricted to a particular shape of the body and that a variety of shapes of weighted bodies may be used in accordance with the present invention. The taper, of the hole 12 is to accommodate the usual taper of the horn of a cow or the like.

The novel fastener for securing the weighted body generally comprises a blade member 13 slidably seated in a narrow slot 14 extending across the body wall together with a resilient band 15 shown as a coil spring wrapped around or extending circumferentially of the weighted body and secured atits end to the ends of the blade to hold the blade in place within the slot 14 in the body and against a horn 16. The slot 14 for the blade opens into the hole 12 and extends along a line segment forming a chord with the circumference of the hole to position the inner edge of the blade member along the line segment to penetrate or bite into the horn transversely of its length.

An annular notch 17 is disposed circumferentially of the body in which the band I5 is seated to prevent it from sliding lengthwise of the body. While the spring shown extends slightly beyond the outer peripheral surface of the weighted body the annular notch 17 may be deepened so that the spring fits entirely within the body for a smoother outer contour.

The blade member 13 is preferably shaped to fit within a section of wall of the bodyso as to not interfere with the attachment of the body to the horn. The blade member has upturned hooked portions 22 and 23 at each end over which the ends 24 and 25 of the spring type resilient band 15 are hooked for a firm attachment without slippage of the blade member to the body. A recess 26 is provided in the body at each of the connections of the hooked portions of the blade member and looped ends of the spring to facilitate their attachment and detachment from the body and locate these portions out of the way below the .outer surface of the body.

The blade member has sharp cutting teeth 27 along its inner edge like those commonly found on a hacksaw blade which are positioned slightly inwardly of the inner surface of the hole of the body into the hole along the chord line segment so that a turning or rotation of the body causes the blade member to cut into the horn. The blade member has an aperture or slot 28 in its upper portion shaped to accommodate a tool such as a screwdriver 29 or the like which may be used to raise the blade member out of the hole for release and removal of the assembly from the horn. An inclined surface 31 is formed in the body adjacent the blade slot 14 against which the tool 29 may be seated when inserted into slot 28 raising the blade up out of the hole to free the assembly from the horn.

To install the above-described horn weight assembly on a horn of an animal, the tool 29 is inserted in the slot 28 in the blade member and it is lifted so that the blade member and its sawlike teeth are out of the hole 12. The weighted body will then slide over or set on the horn and the tool is removed to permit the resilient band 15 to force the teeth against the outer surface of the horn. Two or three quarter turns of the weighted assembly sets the blade in a small groove in the horn and the band holds the blade in place to prevent longitudinal movement of the weighted body on the horn. When the horn of the cow or the like has been sufficiently lowered or downtumed, the horn weight assembly is removed by again raising the blade with the tool 29 as above described and slipping the weight off the horn. It is apparent that either the applying or the removal operation can be done with one hand and that the weighted body will be held firmly in place during usage and avoid the requirement for a clamp or set screw directly engaging the horn and clamping it. It is also apparent that the fastener can be adapted to any size or shape of weight and requires only slight changes in the shape of the weighted body in the form of slots to accommodate the blade member and resilient band. The weighted body will preferably be provided in half-pound, three-quarter pound and pound sizes.

Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that changes in details of structure and system components may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

Iclaim:

l. A horn weight assembly for cattle and the like comprising a weighted body having a central hole adapted to mount on a horn and having a transverse slot opening into the hole and through an external surface of the body, a blade member reciprocally slidable in said slot in the body having a sharp inner edge extending into the hole and resilient means carried by the body for yieldably urging said blade member into said slot with its sharp edge against the horn to penetrate a surface of the horn generally transversely of its length thereby preventing movement of the weighted body on the horn, said blade member being accessible to an exterior surface of the body through said transverse slot to provide for slidably lifting the blade member from said hole to release the body from the horn.

2. A horn weight assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said blade member has cutting teeth arranged along its inner edge to cut into the horn upon rotation of the blade member with the body about the horn.

3. A horn weight assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said body has an inclined or beveled surface adjacent said transverse slot and said blade member has a slot adapted to receive a tool for fitting into the blade slot and bearing against the beveled surface to elevate the blade member out of said hole for free movement of the body over the horn.

4. A horn weight assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein resilient means is a resilient band secured at its ends to the ends of the blade member and disposed circumferentially of a.

portion of the body.

5. A horn weight assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said band is a tension spring.

6. A horn weight assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said resilient band is seated in a circumferential notch arranged circumferentially of the body to prevent sliding movement along the body.

7. In a horn weight assembly including a weighted body having a central hole adapted to slide over the end of a horn for shaping the horn, the improvement in a fastener for securing the body to the horn, said fastener comprising a blade reciprocally slidable in a slot extending transversely of the body and into the hole of the body for movement between a retracted position removed from the hole and an inner position with the blade extending into the hole to slightly penetrate the horn and resilient means secured at its ends to the ends of the blade to yieldably urge said blade edge into the slot and penetrating the horn thereby preventing movement of the body on the horn, said blade having tool receiving means accessible to an exterior surface of the body for pulling of the blade from the hole to release the body from the horn. v v

8. A horn weight assembly for cattle and the like comprisa generally cylindrical weighted body having a longitudinal tapered hole adapted to slide on a horn,

a blade member reciprocally slidable in a slot in the body extending transversely thereof and opening into the hole and through an external surface of the body, said slot being along a line segment forming a chord with a circumferenti'al inner surface of the body defining the hole, said blade member having cutting teeth on its inner edge extending along said line segment to cut into the horn generally tranversely of its length, and

a resilient tension spring secured at its ends to end portions of the blade member and extending around a portion of the body to yieldably urge said-blade member in place in said slot on the body thereby preventing movement of the body on the horn, said blade member having tool receiving means accessible to said external surface of the body for lifting the blade member out of the hole in a prying action to apply said weighted body to and remove said body from the horn. 

